"If a kingdom is divided against itself, that
kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand."Mark
3:24-25

This expectation from today’s Gospel continually grabbed
my attention while reflecting upon today’s readings. It is
a passage that I feel so many of us can relate to and do so on many
different levels.

I am writing this reflection shortly after putting the two children
I babysit to bed. Through the course of the night, they exhibited
typical behaviors of a 4 and 6 year old. The 4 year old would do
something to annoy the 6 year old and in turn the 6 year old would
do something that pushed the 4 year old’s buttons. I sat them
down in an attempt to talk about the importance of treating each
other well. I hope that during my time with them, they will begin
to understand that if someone does something hurtful to you, offending
them in turn does not make it any better.

It is somewhat undeniable that every family or close-knit group
of people quibbles at times. At times, one person is more to blame
than another. But, at the end of every quibble it is important to
remember that “family is family”; a strong bond that
will not let you down. Thus, it is important to treat one another
with respect.

During the time of the primary elections in the United States,
this passage is also applicable. Some of the candidates are earnestly
working to communicate the importance of our nation bonding together
during these times. By allowing one's political affiliation to separate
them from another person, they are doing no good. It is important
to recognize the commonality that each person possesses and work
towards a common good.

These are just a few examples of ways that I found today’s
Gospel to apply to my life and the current events taking place.
It reminds me to not let the little negative things that occur during
my interactions with others get to me me. But rather, recall the
importance of relationships and treating each person with the respect
they deserve.